Introduction
Most B2B teams don't have a tech stack problem. They have a stacking problem.
They bought a CRM. Then a MAP. Then intent data. Then a personalization tool. Then a CDP. Then a BI tool. Now they have 12 tools, none of them talk to each other, and one person knows how they all work.
This checklist helps you audit your ABM tech stack. You'll identify gaps (what's missing), redundancies (what you can cut), and integration failures (what's broken). The goal: a lean, connected stack that does what you actually need.
Part 1: Current State Audit
Checklist Item 1: List Every Tool You Own
Document every piece of software your team uses. Include:
Marketing & ABM Tools: - [ ] CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive) - [ ] Marketing Automation Platform (Marketo, HubSpot, Pardot) - [ ] Intent Data Provider (6sense, Demandbase, Abmatic AI) - [ ] Email Marketing Tool (Marketo, Outreach, HubSpot) - [ ] Account-Based Advertising (Demandbase, Mutiny, 6sense) - [ ] Website Analytics (Google Analytics, Mixpanel) - [ ] Personalization Tool (Mutiny, PathFactory, Demandbase) - [ ] Content Management System (WordPress, Webflow, HubSpot CMS)
Sales Tools: - [ ] Sales Engagement (Outreach, Salesloft, HubSpot) - [ ] Account Intelligence (ZoomInfo, Clearbit, Apollo) - [ ] Call Recording (Gong, Chorus, Wingman) - [ ] CRM (same as above)
Data & Analytics: - [ ] Data Warehouse (Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift) - [ ] BI Tool (Tableau, Looker, Mode Analytics) - [ ] Attribution Platform (Marketo, HubSpot, Northbeam) - [ ] Customer Data Platform (Segment, mParticle)
Other: - [ ] Slack - [ ] Google Workspace / Microsoft 365 - [ ] Document Storage (Google Drive, Dropbox)
Checklist Item 2: Calculate Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
For each tool, document:
| Tool | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost | Primary Use | Utilization (%) | Cost per User |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | CRM | 95% | [pricing varies, check vendor website] |
| HubSpot | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | Email, Forms | 80% | [pricing varies, check vendor website] |
| 6sense | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | Intent | 70% | [pricing varies, check vendor website] |
| Mutiny | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | Personalization | 40% | [pricing varies, check vendor website] |
| Outreach | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | Sales Eng | 60% | [pricing varies, check vendor website] |
| Google Analytics | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | Analytics | 85% | [pricing varies, check vendor website] |
| Marketo | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | (Deprecated) | 0% | [pricing varies, check vendor website] |
| Total | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | [pricing varies, check vendor website] |
Red flags: - High TCO, low utilization (Mutiny at 40% = [pricing varies, check vendor website]wasted) - Overlapping tools (Salesforce + HubSpot + Outreach all do similar things) - Deprecated tools (Marketo at 0% utilization = pure waste)
Checklist Item 3: Map Integrations
For each tool, document what it connects to:
| Tool | Integrations | Latency | Issues |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | HubSpot, 6sense, Outreach, Segment | Real-time (5 min) | Contact deduplication broken |
| HubSpot | Salesforce, 6sense, Marketo | Real-time | Duplicate companies created |
| 6sense | Salesforce, HubSpot | Batch (1x daily) | 3-hour delay observed |
| Outreach | Salesforce, HubSpot | Real-time | Works well |
| Google Analytics | Salesforce, HubSpot, Segment | 24-hour delay | Acceptable |
Red flags: - Manual integrations (CSV export/import weekly) = data loss risk - Batch integrations with long latency (24+ hours) = stale data - Missing integrations (intent data doesn't flow to CRM) = broken workflow - Broken integrations (historical tickets opened but not fixed)
---Part 2: Feature Gap Analysis
Checklist Item 4: Map Features to Use Cases
For each ABM use case, list which tool does it:
| Use Case | Required Tool | Current Tool | Gap? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target account identification | Account intelligence + ICP | 6sense + Salesforce | No |
| Account scoring | Intent data + custom scoring | 6sense | No |
| Buying committee mapping | Account intelligence + enrichment | ZoomInfo | No |
| Content mapping by stage | CMS + MAP | HubSpot | No |
| Email personalization | Email tool + dynamic content | HubSpot + Mutiny | Partial (Mutiny has domain limits) |
| Website personalization | Personalization tool + analytics | Mutiny + GA4 | Yes (low utilization of Mutiny) |
| Account-based advertising | ABA platform + ad networks | 6sense + LinkedIn/Google | No |
| Intent signal routing to Sales | Intent platform + CRM automation | 6sense + Salesforce | No |
| Sales cadence automation | Sales engagement tool | Outreach | No |
| Deal influence tracking | CRM + attribution | Salesforce + HubSpot | Partial (no true multi-touch) |
Action: For each "Yes" gap, decide: build (custom integration), buy (new tool), or live without it.
Checklist Item 5: Evaluate Redundancy
Do you have overlapping tools?
| Function | Tool 1 | Tool 2 | Why Have Both? | Keep Which? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Email marketing | HubSpot | Marketo | Legacy. Marketo deprecated? | HubSpot (higher utilization) |
| Account data | 6sense | Clearbit | 6sense has intent, Clearbit is lighter. But both are overkill? | 6sense (intent is differentiator) |
| CRM | Salesforce | HubSpot | Salesforce is primary, HubSpot is lightweight. Two CRMs is bad. | Salesforce (more mature) |
| Analytics | GA4 | Mixpanel | GA4 is free, Mixpanel is event-based. Does team use both? | GA4 (sufficient for current needs) |
Part 3: Integration Health Check
Checklist Item 6: Test Data Flow
For a random customer, trace the data flow:
Test Customer: Acme Corp (CRM ID: xxx)
- CRM has the account: Name, industry, size, intent score. ✓
- Intent platform has updated score: 6sense shows updated score in CRM within 1 hour. ✓
- Email tool has the contact: Contact record synced from CRM. ✓
- Email tool executed sequence: Email sent, opens tracked, clicked, sync back to CRM. ✓
- Analytics tracked engagement: GA4 attributed session to account. ✓ (But 24-hour delay)
- Sales tool has the activity: Outreach shows email, call, and notes. ✓
- Reporting dashboard shows all: Salesforce report shows all activity. ✓ (But GA4 is delayed)
Issues found: GA4 has 24-hour lag. Sales can't see website activity in real-time.
Fix: Increase GA4 reporting frequency to hourly, or use GA4 Realtime API for critical accounts.
Checklist Item 7: Automation Health
Are your automations actually working?
| Automation | Trigger | Action | Last Tested | Works? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-intent routing | Account intent > 75 | Assign to Sales, create task, post to Slack | 2 weeks ago | Yes |
| Lead scoring | Contact opens email OR visits pricing | Add 10 points | 2 months ago | Unknown |
| Sales sequence auto-launch | Lead marked MQL | Send email sequence | 2 months ago | Unknown |
| Account update | Contact added to account | Update account activity date | 1 month ago | Unknown |
Action: Test each automation this week. If you haven't tested it in 2+ months, assume it's broken.
Part 4: Rationalization & Cost Reduction
Checklist Item 8: Identify Quick Cuts
Look for tools with <50% utilization or clear redundancy:
| Tool | Annual Cost | Utilization | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketo | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | 0% | Kill (deprecated, no loss) |
| Mutiny | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | 40% | Kill or increase usage (negotiate lower tier) |
| Clearbit | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | 30% | Kill (redundant with 6sense) |
| Mixpanel | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | 25% | Kill (GA4 sufficient) |
| Slack Pro (vs Standard) | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | ? | Downgrade (more features than needed) |
| Potential Savings | [pricing varies, check vendor website] |
3-month plan: - Month 1: Kill Marketo, Mixpanel, Clearbit (30-day notice). - Month 2: Test Mutiny for 2 weeks at low traffic. If no lift, kill. - Month 3: Evaluate any new gaps. Buy if critical.
Checklist Item 9: Consolidation Opportunities
Where can you consolidate to save money or complexity?
| Current State | Opportunity | Savings | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce + HubSpot | Migrate to HubSpot fully (or Salesforce fully) | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | Migration effort, potential feature loss |
| 6sense + Clearbit + ZoomInfo | Keep 6sense only (intent is core) | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | Lose Clearbit's contact data, ZoomInfo's technographics |
| GA4 + Mixpanel + Segment | Keep GA4 + Segment (Segment ingests GA4) | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | Lose event-based analysis (acceptable) |
| Outreach + Salesloft | Keep Outreach (higher engagement) | [pricing varies, check vendor website] | Lower sales reps' feature set |
Conservative estimate: [pricing varies, check vendor website] savings with minimal risk if planned carefully.
---Skip the manual work
Abmatic AI runs targets, sequences, ads, meetings, and attribution autonomously. One platform replaces 9 tools.
See the demo →Part 5: Build vs. Buy Decisions
Checklist Item 10: Evaluate Custom Integration Needs
Where might a custom integration (vs. another tool) be cheaper?
| Need | Tool Cost | Custom Integration Cost | Timeline | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily account intelligence sync (6sense to Salesforce) | Included | pricing varies, check vendor website | 4 weeks | Already included, use native API |
| Real-time GA4 to Salesforce | [pricing varies, check vendor website] (new tool) | pricing varies, check vendor website + [pricing varies, check vendor website] maintenance | 6 weeks | Custom integration (payback in 1.5 years) |
| Intent + email + CRM automation | [pricing varies, check vendor website] (Mutiny + platform) | [pricing varies, check vendor website][pricing varies, check vendor website] | 8 weeks | Buy platform (faster, less risk) |
Rule of thumb: If a tool costs >[pricing varies, check vendor website] and you'll use it for 3+ years, buying is usually cheaper than custom integration.
Part 6: Planning & Governance
Checklist Item 11: Tool Lifecycle Process
Create a simple process to prevent tool sprawl:
- Monthly audit: Marketing + Sales + Ops review tool utilization.
- Quarterly review: Before adding a tool, present business case: - Problem it solves - ROI (how much faster will this make us?) - Integration dependencies - Cost - Alternative solutions considered
- Annual planning: Cut underutilized tools. Renegotiate pricing with vendors.
- Vendor review: 1x per year, have a meeting with key vendors (Salesforce, 6sense, HubSpot) about pricing and roadmap. You have leverage.
Checklist Item 12: Documentation
Keep a single source of truth:
Create a spreadsheet (or doc) with: - All tools, costs, integrations - Owners (who's responsible for each tool?) - Onboarding & training resources - Known issues & workarounds - Vendor contacts (for when something breaks)
This lives in Confluence or Google Drive. Updated quarterly.
Audit Scoring
Count your "Yes" items:
- 10-12: Healthy stack. Well-integrated. Low redundancy.
- 7-9: Some gaps. Integrations work but fragile. Some redundancy to cut.
- 4-6: Messy. Multiple gaps. Poor integration. High redundancy.
- <4: Broken. Multiple tools aren't talking. High cost, low value.
Sample Output: Rationalized Stack
After audit, a lean stack might look like:
Core ABM Stack (5 tools): 1. Salesforce (CRM) - [pricing varies, check vendor website] 2. HubSpot (Email, forms) - [pricing varies, check vendor website] 3. 6sense (Intent data) - [pricing varies, check vendor website] 4. Outreach (Sales engagement) - [pricing varies, check vendor website].4K/year 5. Google Analytics (Free)
Optional (add if critical): 6. Demandbase (ABA) - [pricing varies, check vendor website] (if programmatic spend is high) 7. Mixpanel (Deep analytics) - [pricing varies, check vendor website] (if custom events are critical)
Total: [pricing varies, check vendor website] for a full-featured ABM engine.
(Most teams spend [pricing varies, check vendor website], which means 20-30% is waste.)
Related Reading
Deepen your stack decisions: - Account-Based Advertising Setup Guide - B2B Website Personalization Implementation Guide - How to Set Up ABM in 60 Days
Next Steps
- This week: List all tools and costs (Checklist Item 1).
- Next week: Map integrations (Checklist Item 3). Identify 3 tools to kill.
- Week 3: Test automations (Checklist Item 7). Fix broken ones.
- Week 4: Present rationalization plan to leadership. Get buy-in to kill 2-3 tools.
- Month 2: Execute kills and consolidations.
Most teams save [pricing varies, check vendor website] by rationalizing their stack. That's free money if you're strategic.
Key Takeaway: Most teams have too many tools and weak integrations. Audit quarterly. Cut ruthlessly. Automate everything. A lean, integrated stack beats a complex one every time.
